The Beginner's Guide to Preserving Food at Home - Janet Chadwick [63]
1½ teaspoons dried chives
1½ teaspoons parsley flakes
3 eggs
3/4 cup cold milk
2 teaspoons onion powder peanut oil for frying
Place the chicken in a large kettle with the salt and onion and water to cover. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Turn off the heat, and cool the chicken in the cooking broth (about 2 hours).
Drain chicken well, discard onion, and save the stock for soup.
While the chicken is cooling, mix the flour, cornflake crumbs, baking powder, and seasonings in a large shallow bowl. Set aside. Blend the eggs, milk, and onion powder in a second shallow bowl. Set aside.
In a large, heavy skillet or electric frying pan, heat 2 inches of oil to 380°F. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg mixture and then in the flour mixture. Fry until tender and golden brown on all sides. Remove the chicken from the frying pan, and drain on paper towels. It takes about 1½ hours to fry 12 pounds of chicken.
Cool completely (about 1 hour).
Tray-freeze for 12 hours.
When the chicken is frozen solid, package in large freezer bags to be used as needed.
Fried Chicken
Place frozen chicken parts on a well-greased baking sheet, and heat, uncovered, in a preheated, 400°F oven for 30 to 45 minutes. (Time depends on thickness of the chicken parts.)
Polynesian Chicken
While 8 pieces of chicken are heating in the oven as directed above, sauté 1 to 2 cups of vegetables (carrots, broccoli, onions, peppers) in 1 tablespoon of cooking oil until tender. Add 2 cups of homemade Chutney (page 148) and heat through. Remove the cooked chicken from the oven, and top with the vegetable-chutney sauce. Return to the oven and bake an additional 10 to 12 minutes. Serves 4 with rice.
Barbecued Chicken
While 8 pieces of chicken are baking as in the directions given with the Fried Chicken, sauté 1 medium diced onion in 1 tablespoon oil until tender. Add 1 cup homemade Ketchup (page 156), 1 teaspoon honey, 1 tablespoon prepared mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, 1½ tablespoons cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and ¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce. Simmer for 20 minutes. When the chicken is heated through, top with the barbecue sauce and return to the hot oven for an additional 10 to 12 minutes. Serves 4.
Ratatouille
Makes 10 to 12 servings
Ratatouille is a great harvest dish. It makes good use of eggplant, zucchini, and peppers. You can serve it hot or chilled, or freeze it for enjoying later. In fact, making ratatouille is an excellent way to preserve extra eggplant and zucchini. You can serve this as a vegetarian main dish, or serve it as a topping for rice or pasta. For nonvegetarians, stir in 2 to 3 cups of chopped, cooked turkey or chicken.
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium to large peeled eggplants, diced
2 green peppers, diced
2 red peppers, diced
8 medium zucchini, sliced
6 tomatoes, chopped, or 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup water
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt
Pepper
In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil. Add the onions, garlic, eggplant, and peppers, and sauté until the vegetables are limp, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the zucchini, tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes.
Add herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking, uncovered, for about 10 more minutes.
Cool for 1 hour, stirring often.
Package in meal-size portions in straight-sided containers. Leave 1- inch headspace. Label. Freeze.
To serve: Ratatouille served over rice or pasta makes a quick weeknight supper. Simply defrost and heat. Serve with grated cheese on top and a fresh garden salad on the side.
Meatloaf
Makes 2 large or 4 small loaves
3 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground pork
4 eggs
2 large onions, cut in chunks
6 slices bread, torn in small pieces
1½ cups milk
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
1½ teaspoons dried thyme
4 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Preheat the